The main education paths for becoming a school principal can vary across countries (as described in the TIMSS 2019 Encyclopedia). Some countries focus on formal education or completion of specialized training and certification, while others focus on years of teaching experience and gradual promotion into school leadership roles.

As shown in Exhibit 6.19, on average, more than half of fourth grade students (54%) had a school principal with a postgraduate university degree, 42 percent had a principal with a bachelor’s degree, and 5 percent had a principal who had not completed a bachelor’s degree. On average, 68 percent of fourth grade students had a principal with an educational leadership certificate or license, and 36 percent with a postgraduate leadership degree.

At the eighth grade (see Exhibit 6.20), the situation with regard to school principals’ formal education was rather similar, with 55 percent of students having a school principal with a postgraduate university degree, 43 percent having a principal with a bachelor’s degree, and 2 percent with a principal who had not completed a bachelor’s degree. On average, 71 percent of eighth grade students had a principal with an educational leadership certificate or license, and 39 percent had a principal with a postgraduate leadership degree.